Apparatus for pumping liquid.



Nm 811,110. PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

G. L. WATERHOUSE.

APPARATUS FOR PUMPING LIQUID. APPLICATION FILED JUNI: 13.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

G. L. WATERHOUSE. APPARATUS FOR PUMPING LIQUID.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 13.1905.

HoUsE, a citizen of the United States, residsrArEs GEORGE L. WATERHOUSE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR Specification of Letters Patent.

PUIVIPING LIQUID..

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed June 13, 1905. Serial No. 264,984.

To 'all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. WATER- ing in New York city, borough of Manhattan, New York, have .invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Pumping Liquid, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention. relates to an improved method of and apparatus for pumping liquid by utilizing the direct displacing force of steam in conjunction with a vacuum caused by the condensation of the steam, and has for its object to utilize and conserve the heat absorbed by the surface of a body of liquid while being directly displaced by steam under pressure and for conserving pressure and heat contained in the displacing-steam for preheating the surface of another body of liquid to be pumped, and thereby starting a pressure thereon before live steam is admitted thereto, all to the end that heat which would otherwise be lost is conserved and, with the steam, used over again, thereby obtaining an increased degree of efficiency and economy in the use of steam when employed in operating steam and vacuum pumps.

In carrying out my invention steam is successively admitted to a plurality of receptacles and successively condensed in each to cause the same to be charged with liquid up to a substantially predetermined level, but at such a height as to leave a space in the receptacle above the liquid, and heated surface liquid and steam are successively forced into suoli space under pressure 'from one receptacle to another, whereby the upper interior of each receptacle is preheated and a pressure upon the surface of the liquid to be pumped. is also thus started before live steam is admitted at a higher pressure.

In the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings I provide a plurality of receptacles having liquid induction and eduction passages pipes, and valves, a steam pipe communicating with the upper interior of each receptacle and provided with valves, means made dependent upon the liquid being forced from each receptacle until its surface reaches a substantially predetermined. low level above that of the main discharge for actuating the steam-valves to control the fiow of steam to the receptacles to accord with the rise and fall of the surface of the liquid. in each, means for admitting condensing liquid tothe upper interior of each receptacle, and

transfer passages or pipes provided with suitable valves for directing heated surface liquid. and. steam from the lower interior of one receptacle after the main body of cooler liquid has been discharged therefrom into the upper interior of the other receptacle after the same has been properly charged withliquid and before the live steam is admitted to the latter.

In accordance with the foregoing a very small quantity of live steam is condensed while exerting pressure on the cooler liquid. below for forcing the liquid. through the discharge-passage. l/Vhen the surface of the liquid in a receptacle reaches a substantially predetermined low level above the level of the main discharge, the steam is shut off by reason of the flow of liquid from the lower part of the receptacle to the steam-valve-operating devices, and the heated surface liquid and steam are suddenly discharged from the lower level of such receptacle into the upper interior of another receptacle, into which live steam is immediately thereafter admit.- ted, and the operations.are repeated in the second receptacle, and' so on alternately or successively, according to the number of receptacles employed. In the meantime the remaining steam in the first-named receptacle is partly condensed by its pressure being reduced, owing to the passage of a large part of the steam into another receptacle. Then the remaining part of the steam is brought in contact with the cooler liquid. which remains in the receptacle after being stripped of its. heated surface, and then condensation is completed by a smallspray of condensing liquid forced into the receptacle, whereby a vacuum is formed, which causes the receptacle to be recharged with liquid during the time that another receptacle is being discharged, and so on.

Reference is to be had. to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein-- Figure l is a partly-sectional elevation of an apparatus embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of part of one of the receptacles, showing means for controlling the flow of condensing liquid. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of a modiiied form of the valve details shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view of means shown in Fig. l for controlling the flow of steam and liquid for operating the steam-valves, and Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 4.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numerals l 1L indicate closed recep- IOO IIO

tacles, each provided with liquid-induction valves 2, a common induction-passage 3, liquid-eduction valves 4, and a common eduction-passage 5, all of which may be of any well-known construction used in this class of pumps.

At 6 is indicated a steam-supply pipe, shown provided with branches 7 7a, leading to steamvalves 8 8a, communicating with the upper interior of the receptacles 1 la.

At 9 is a cylinder having a movable member or piston 9a and a piston-rod 9b, passing through stuffing-boxes at both ends of the cylinder, adapted to alternately engage the stems 8b of the movable valve members 8C of the steam-valves S 8a. At each extreme movement of the piston 9a its rod 9b opens one of the steam-valves 8 or 8a by pushing in the stem 8b, admitting live steam to one of the receptacles so long as the piston remains at that end of its stroke; but as soon as the piston 9@t begins to move in the opposite direction and the rod 9b rst withdraws from the adjacent valve-stem 8b then the corre sponding valve closes by the steam-pressure acting upon the part 80, thereby shutting 0H steam from such receptacle. The distance between extreme ends of the piston-rod 9b is less than the distance between the valvestems 8b, so that for a space of time during the travel of the piston both steam-valves may be closed. By this means each of the steam-valves one at a time is opened and held open, while the piston reaches and remains at the extremes of its motion, and both of the valves are closed while the piston is under motion or on its way between the extremes of its movements, and during which latter time heated surface liquid and steam is to be transferred from one receptacle to the other.

The means I have shown for causing the heated surface liquid and steam to be transferred alternately from one of two receptacles to the other are as follows: At 11 11a are pipes leading from the lower interior of the receptacles and provided with checl -valves 11b, said pipes being shown connected with a common pipe 12, that leads to the transfer-valve case or chamber 10, that communicates with the upper interior of the receptacles 1 la, as by pipes 13 13a, provided with checlrevalves 13b, opening only toward the corresponding receptacle. At 10C is shown a double-ended valve within casing 10, adapted to ,close against the seats 10G1 10e to control the passage of liquid through the pipes 13 13a to the respective receptacles, and said valve is arranged' to be operated by and coincidently with the operations of piston 9a. For this purpose 1 have shown a carrier or arm 9C connected with piston-rod 9b and having a connecting-rod 9d, leading to a rocker-arm 10a, which enters the transfer-case 10, as

through a stuffing-box, (not shown,) the inner end 10b of the rocker-arm being movably or pivotally connected with the valve 10C. By the arrangement shown the valve l()c is reciprocated by the connection between it and the piston 9a, so that said valve 1()C moves in an opposite direction to the piston 9a, but reaches the extremes of its oscillating motions to alternately close the valve-seats 10d 10e at about the same time that the piston 9a reaches the extremes of its linear movements. The arrangements above described are such that the checlrvalves 11b open only in reverse directions or in such manner that no passage is open through them between the lower parts of the receptacles; but the flow can beonly from both valves through pipe 12, and similar condin tions are present with respect to valves 13b in that the flow can only be from pipe 12 through said valves to the receptacles and not between the upper parts of the receptan cles 5 but a passage is thus provided from the lower interior of said receptacles 1 111L through the transfer-pipe 12 and valve-casing 10 to the upper interior of both receptacles, and the passage from the lower interior of each receptacle to the upper interior of the other is controlled as follows: When piston 9a moves to the extreme left of its motion, its rod 9b strikes the adjacent valve-stem 8b, opens valve 8", and admits steam to receptacle 1, the check-valve 13b preventing the flow of such steam to casing 10, while at the same time the movement of piston 9a has carried the transfer-valve 10C to the opposite extreme of its motion and closed against the seat 10e to prevent the flow of liquid from receptacle 1 to receptacle 1a while the parts are in such positions. Then steam in receptacle 1 causes a pressure therein; but this pressure cannot force liquid through checkvalves 11b into the lower part of receptacle 1a nor past valve 10c and seat 10e into the upper interior of receptacle l, (because valve 10C has closed the passage 109,) nor can such pressure pass through the pipe 13 past its check-valve 13b because its own pressure in receptacle 1 bars its return. Therefore the pressure is now confined in receptacle 1 and used to displace the liquid therein and force it out through the discharge-passage 5.

The means shown for shifting piston 9a to operate the steam-valves 8 8a and the valve 10c for respectively controlling the flow of steam to the receptacles and the flow of heated surface liquid and steam from one receptacle to the other are as follows: Similar devices being arranged in each receptacle, pipes 14d connect with opposite ends of cylinder 9 and lead into the lower portion of the receptacles 1 1a, which pipes near the lower portions of the receptacles are provided with valves 14C, having means, such as floats 14, for operating them. The valves 14 I have IOO IIO

shown are in the nature of three-way valves of such construction that they will open a passage from the receptacles, preferably through the screens 1/1.d and checlcvalve casings 141" through pipes 14d to opposite ends of cylinder 9. Pipes 1&1e communicate with valves 14C and lead to the atmosphere, being shown passing through the bottom of the receptacles. The details of valves 14C, &c., are shown in Figs, 4 and 5, and the arrangement is such that when float 14 is elevated a free passage is provided from pipe 14d to pipe 14:, leading to the open air but when the float 14 `is down the passage to pipe 111e `is closed and al passage then opened from the lower interior of the receptacle through the screen 14a and up pipe 14m, past check-valve 14h and valve 140, and thence up pipe 14d to the cylinder 9. In this valve the blade 14N moves the valve member 14g, the rod 14h being connected to the blade 14f. The check-valve 14h prevents air from being sucked into the receptacle through pipe 141C when float 14 is down, and a vacuum is formed in the receptacle. When the surface of the liquid in the receptacle lowers so that it falls b elow the float 14, the float descends and opens valve 14C, thus providing direct communication between the lower interior of the receptacle through 14m and 14d to cylinder 9, whereby the steam-pressure in the .receptacle will force liquid into cylinder 9 and move piston. 9a, as to the right in Fig. 1, thus permitting the steam-valve 8 to close and shut off steam from the receptacle, as 1, and the first of the same movement of the piston 9"L will act upon the transfer-valve 10C by withdrawing it from the valve-seated aperture 10e, thus immediately `opening a passage for the heated surface liquid and steam to pass from the lower interior of one receptacle, as 1, through pipe 12, casing 10, and pipe 13'KL into the upper interior of the other receptacle, and this flow Icontinues while the piston 9"L is under motion, as to the right in Fig. 1, and until it opens the steam-valve Se on the right and admits steam to receptacle 1a. By this time the heated fluid in the form of heated surface liquid and steam from receptacle 1 has preheated the upper interior of receptacle 1a and also the surface of its liquid, besides starting a pressure upon the same, so that when live steam enters this receptacle the causes which would otherwise produce its wasteful condensation are removed and its work of displacing liquid can be economically performed. As soon, however, as the heated surface liquid and steam is discharged from one of the receptacles, as 1, condensation of the remaining steam rapidly begins, owing to the removal of the heated surface liquid, and this condensation is completed, owing to the higher pressure caused by the admission of live steam in receptacle 1a, which causes a limited flow of condensing liquid from receptacle 1L into the upper interior of receptacle 1 through the condensing-pipe '15 and its check-valve 16, connecting the upper inte-v rior of receptacle 1 with pipe 12, (a similar pipe 15a and cheek valve 16a connecting pipe 12 with the upper interior of receptacle 1%) and this inflowing condensing liquid completes the condensation of the steam in receptacle 1, producing a vacuum therein, which causes the receptacle to refill with liquid through its induction-pipe 3 and valve 2.

Ihile in Fig, 1 the arrangement is such that condensing liquid will flow into a receptacle through its pipe 15 or 15L upon live steam entering one receptacle after pressure in the other receptacle has been reduced, I have shown in Fig. 2 :means for checking the inflow ofcondensing liquid upon the liquid in the receptacle reaching a substantially predetermined high level. In Fig. 2 the condensing-pipe` 15 is provided with a spraying tube or nozzle 15b and a valve 17, provided. with a float 17, connected with the cam or operating part 17 C of the valve which is adapted to press on the stem 17d of the check-valve 17e to hold the latter upon its seat. In the arrangement shown the rod 17b is bent substantially at a right angle to the plane upon which the float is caused to risc and fall in following the surface of the liquid in the receptacle, and the relation of the cam 17C to the stem 17i is such that when the float 17 a is down the valve 17 e can rise, but when the liquid rises in the receptacle to a substantially predetermined height the rising of the float 17 1 will' cause cam 17C to hold valve 17e firmly upon its seat, so that no more liquid can enter the receptacle through pipe 15 after the surface of the liquid rises therein to a substantially fixed level. By this means the entrance into the receptacle of condensing liquid maintains a vacuum in the receptacle capable of charging the receptacle with liquid up to a substantially predetermined high level, and then as the flow of condensing liquid into the .receptacle is stopped by the valve the vacuum is broken by steam generated from the surface of the charging liquid caused by its contact with and absorb ing the heat from the metal of the receptacle upon the liquid rising a slight distance therein above the level it had obtained when the condensing liquid was shut off, thereby leaving a space in the upper interior of each receptacle above that occupied by the dischargllg liquid into which space heated surface liquid and steam caribe forced from the other receptacle for preheating the same prepara tory to the admission of live steam thereto. Devices similar to that shown in Fig. 2 will be used in both receptacles.

Fig. 3 shows at right angles the valve and float of Fig. 2 slightly modified. In this case the rod 17b extends substantially at right angles to the axis 17" of the cam or Vlinger 17 C,

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so that when the float 17"1L is down cam 17 C releases the stem 17d and permits check-valve V17e to rise to admit condensing liquid to the receptacle, and when the float rises to a substantially predetermined high level by the liquid charged into the receptacle the cam will hold the valve 17'e closed.

i The complete method of pumping liquid and the operation of the parts set forth acn cording to my invention may be described as follows: Assuming` that receptacle 1a is charged with liquid up to a substantially predetermined high level, (at or slightly above the discharge-opening of pipe 15L into the receptacle,) that piston 9 is at the left, valve 8 at the right, closed, valve 10C closed against the seat 10e, and live steam thereby having been admitted to receptacle 1 to discharge liquid therefrom through outlet 5, then the surface of the liquid in receptacle 1 having reached the float 14 the latter will descend, as in Fig. 1, and will open a passage through pipes 14nl and 14d into cylinder 9, causing liquid in the receptacle, as from the lower part thereof, to push piston 9L to the right, whereupon rod 9b will pass away from rod Sb and valve SC at the left will close to shut off inflowing steam from receptacle 1 and simultaneously valve 10C will move to the left and open apassage through pipe 13, (valve SC at the right during this time remaining closed,) and the heated surface liquid and steam from receptacle 1 will pass from the lower interior thereof through pipes 1l and 12 and casing 10 past check-valve 13b and through pipe 13a into receptacle 1, whereby this heated liquid and steam preheats the upper interior of receptacle 1LL and also the surface of its' con# tained liquid and will start a pressure upon the same. This flow of heated liquid and steam from receptacle 1 continues while piston 9a is under motion to the right (caused by pressure of the liquid from receptacle 1 in pipe 14d) until the piston 9a causes valve 8C at the right to open and valve 10C to close against seat 10d, whereupon live steam will be admitted to receptacle 1a. Upon the steam-valve 8C of receptacle 1 closing, as stated above, condensation of steam in said receptacle starts and the pressure therein lowers, and when the live steam enters receptacle 1a liquid flows therefrom through pipes 11a 12 and pipe 15 into receptacle 1, condensing the steam and creating a vacuum therein, whereby said receptacle will be charged with liquid, and as the liquid rises in said receptacle float 14 will rise, closing the passage from pipe 141 to 14d (the check-valve 14b preventing suction of air into the receptacle through pipe 14m) and opening a passage from 14OI to 14e, as shown in Fig. 4, to permit the discharge of liquid from cylinder 9 during the return movement of piston 9a. During the time that receptacle 1 is being charged with liquid the live steam in receptacle 1a causes the liquid to be discharged therefrom through outlet 5, and when the liquid in receptacle 1a falls so that its float 14 descends and opens communication between its pipes 14In and 14d liquid from the lower part of receptacle 1a will be forced through said pipes to push piston 9a to the left in Fig. 1, whereupon steam-valve SC of receptacle 1a will close, valve 10C will move from seat 10d, hot surface liquid and steam from receptacle 1a will pass through pipes 12 and 13 into re ceptacle 1, preheating the upper interior of the same and the surface of the liquid therein, (in manner described with respect to receptacle 11,) and the movement of piston 9d to the left will force the liquid out of cylinder 9 through pipes 14dl and 14e and the operations above described will be repeated. It will thus be understood that the charging of the receptacles with liquid, passing heated surface liquid and steam from the lower interior of one receptacle to the upper interior of the other receptacle for preheating the latter and the surface of the contained liquid, admitting live steam upon the preheated surface of a charge of liquid, and passing condensing liquid ffrom one receptacle to another take place alternately, whereby the operations are maintained continuously while steam is supplied through pipe 6.

Heretofore steam and vacuum pumps with which l am familiar have depended upon admitting air into the receptacle or receptacles to form an insulating stratum between the steam and the liquid therein, which air the steam displaced, and in some cases the discharge of air from the receptacle has been utilized for aiding condensation of the steam and also for actuating the valves which control the flow of steam to the receptacle or receptacles. ln my invention air is not depended upon as an essential element in carrying out the invention, as the cold liquid drawn into the receptacle is covered by a stratum of the same liquid heated by its contact with the heated metal of the receptacle in which it rises and again is covered by heated surface liquid and steam discharged upon its surface from another receptacle, whereby the upper interior of the receptacle is preheated before live steam is admitted thereto, and instead of utilizing the discharge of air from the receptacle for actuating the steam controlling valve or valves I use other fluid for such purpose.

My invention is not limited to the details of construction shown and described, as they may be varied without departing from the spirit thereof. Furthermore, while I have illustrated and described two receptacles associated together it will be understood that any desired number of receptacles may be associated and connected together by means which will permit the operations and results above set forth to take place.

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Having now described my invention, what I claim isl. An apparatus of the character described comprising a plurality of receptacles provided with liquid induction and4 eduction means, means for controlling the iiow of steam to each receptacle to accord with the rise and fall of liquid therein, means for discharging heated fluid from the lower interior of one receptacle into the upper interior of another receptacle upon a charge of liquid therein before steam is admitted thereto, and means for causing condensation of steam in said receptacles after liquid has been discharged therefrom, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a plurality of receptacles provided with liquid induction and eduction means, means for controlling the flow of steam to each receptacle to accord with the rise and lall of liquid therein, means for discharging heated iiuid from the lower interior of one receptacle into the upper interior of another receptacle upon a charge of liquid therein before steam is admitted thereto, and means for causing the flow of condensing fluid from one receptacle into the other after liquid has been discharged from the latter, substantially as described.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising two receptacles provided with liquid. induction and eduction means, means for controlling the flow of steam to each receptacle to accord with the rise and fall of liquid therein, means for discharging heated fluid from the lower interior of one receptacle into the upper interior of the other receptacle upon a charge of liquid therein before steam is admitted thereto, means for causing the flow of condensing fluid from one receptacle into the other after liquid has been discharged from the latter, and means for stopping the flow of condensing liquid to each receptacle after it has been charged with liquid to a substantially predetermined high level therein, substantially as described.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising aplurality of receptacles provided with liquid induction and eduction means, :means :for alternately admitting steam to and. shutting it olf from each receptacle, means for discharging heated liquid from the lower interior of each receptacle to the upper interior of another receptacle before live steam is admitted thereto, means for condensing the steam in each receptacle, and means for pre venting the rise of liquid in each receptacle above a substantially predetermined high level therein, substantially as described.

5. A pumping apparatus comprising a pair of receptacles provided with liquid induction and eduction means, means to alternately admit steam to each receptacle, means to alternately discharge heated surface liquid and steam from each receptacle to the other While live steam is shut off from the receptacle receiving such heated surface liquid, and means to alternately cause condensation of steam in said receptacles, substantially as described.

f 6. A pumping apparatus comprising a pair of receptacles provided with liquid induction and eduction means, valves to admit steam to said receptacles, means to open said valves alternately and leave both valves closed for a period of time, passages connecting the lower interior of each receptacle with the upper interior of the other receptacle, means to control the flow of fluid through said passages and to open the passage lfrom one receptacle to another while steam is shut off from both receptacles, substantially as described.

7. A pumping apparatus comprising a pair of receptacles provided with liquid induction and eduction means, valves to admit steam to said receptacles, means to open said valves alternately and leave both valves closed for a period of time, passages connecting the lower interior of each receptacle with the upper interior of the other receptacle, means to control the flow of fluid. through said passages comprising devices to open the passage from one receptacle to another while steam is shut off from both receptacles and to close the passage into one receptacle while live steam is entering the other receptacle, and means for condensing liquid in said receptacles; substantially as described.

8. A pumping apparatus comprising a pair of receptacles provided with liquid induction and eduction means, valves for admitting steam to said receptacles, means vto alternately operate said valves and leave them both closed for a period of time, a passage connecting the lower interior of each receptacle with the upper interior of the other receptacle and provided with valves to prevent the return flow from one receptacle to the other, and a valve device to control the flow of fluid. through said passage to each receptacle arranged to open the passage from one receptacle to the other while live steam is shut olli' from the last-named receptacle, the steamvalve-operating means serving to admit steam to the last-named receptacle after heated fluid from the. other receptacle has entered the same, substantially as described.

9. A pumping apparatus comprising a pair of receptacles provided with liquid induction and eduction means, valves to admit steam to said receptacles, passages connecting the lower interior of each receptacle with the upper interior of the other receptacle, valves to prevent the return flow through said passages from one receptacle to the other, a valve device to control the flow of heated fluid through said passages from one receptacle to the other, mechanism for operating the steamvalves connected with said valve device for operating the latter, and means lfor causing said mechanism to operate to alternately TOO IOC

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control the flow of steam to said receptaclesV upon a charge of liquid therein before steam to accord With the rise and fall of liquid thereis admitted thereto, and means for causing in substantially as described. condensation of steam in said receptacles af- 10. An apparatus of the character deter liquid has been discharged therefrom,sub

5 scribed comprising a plurality of receptacles stantially as described.

provided with liquid induction and eduction means, means for controlling the flow of GEO' L' WATERHOUSE' steam to each receptacle, means for discharg- Witnesses:

ing heated fluid from the interior of one reeep- A. G. VATERHOUSE,

ro tacle into the interior of another receptacle e T. F. BOURNE. 

